The Grizzlies have been successful when they slow the tempo and “grind it out” against teams. That strategy worked against the Hawks, who were held to only 88 points after scoring 124 against Golden State. Elsewhere, the Thunder deal a serious blow to the reeling Clippers, and the Cavs keep up their hot streak.
Let’s get to the games:
Clippers 108 (33-19) – Thunder 131 (26-25)
With Blake Griffin out 4-6 weeks with an infection in his elbow, the Clippers mood went from bad to worse with a bad loss in Oklahoma City. Their current road trip has not been ideal, with blowout losses on several occasions and their upcoming schedule features an 8-game road trip and a 7-game road trip. Today, the Thunder jumped out early and never really gave the Clippers, who seem to be in disarray, a chance to gel. Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 29, while Russell Westbrook finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds. The Clippers were led by Jamal Crawford with 21 and Chris Paul had 18 points and 13 rebounds.
Lakers 105 (13-38) – Cavaliers 120 (32-21)
The Cavs have been hot in the last 3 weeks, mostly due to the renewed teamwork, the new team members, and Kevin Love’s emergence. When Love has excelled, the team has won easily, and he might be the linchpin to their success going forward. Love finished Sunday’s game with a season-high 32, while LeBron James had 22 with 10 rebounds and 8 assists. The Lakers were led by rookie Jordan Clarkson with 20, but were never in the game and have now lost 10 straight games on the road.
Timberwolves 112 (11-40) – Pistons 101 (20-32)
The Timberwolves have struggled offensively this year, but seemed to have no issue scoring points against a porous defensive display by the Pistons. Ricky Rubio, key to their offense, sat out Sunday ahead of the back-to-back on Monday, but the Wolves played with fluidity and purpose and really never gave the Pistons a chance. Nikola Pekovic scored 29 and Kevin Martin added 24 in the win. The Pistons were led by Andre Drummond with 17 and 14 rebounds on 8 for 8 from the field on the day.
Hawks 88 (42-10) – Grizzlies 94 (38-13)
When the Hawks beat the Warriors on Friday night, they did so at a breakneck pace. Tonight, the pace was much slower, and the “grind it out” approach that has brought the Grizzlies success did so again over the NBA’s best team. Memphis scored the final 8 points of the game, keeping it close all the way then pushing at the end to get the win. Mike Conley had 21 with 6 assists, and Marc Gasol had 16 with 10 rebounds. Jeff Teague led the Hawks with 22, while Kent Bazemore added 14 in the loss.
Pacers 103 (20-32) – Hornets 102 (22-29)
Charlotte jumped out big in the first half, but the Pacers were able to claw back and in the end, a George Hill 3-footer put the Pacers ahead for good. The Hornets seemed in control most of the game, but became totally unhinged in the third quarter and a late blown defensive assignment cost them the game. C.J. Watson led the Pacers, while David West, Luis Scola, and Rodney Stuckey all finished with 15. The Hornets had a big night from Al Jefferson with 30 points and Brian Roberts added 19.
Bulls 98 (32-30) – Magic 97 (16-38)
Chicago jumped out early on the Magic, but it took a last second put-back dunk by Pau Gasol to get the win. Chicago was helped greatly by a costly over-and-back turnover by the Magic in the final seconds, allowing the Bulls the chance for a final game-winner. The Bulls were led by Jimmy Butler with 27, while Gasol finished with 25 points and 15 rebounds, and Joakim Noah had 18 with 9 rebounds. Victor Olidipo led the Magic, who had six players in double figures, with 18.
Spurs 82 (32-19) – Raptors 87 (35-17)
The Raptors have been shaky of late, but on a night where the Spurs had their worst shooting performance of the season, Toronto was able to get the win at home over the reigning champs. The Spurs had trouble executing, and more importantly just couldn’t hit shots. The Raptors were led by James Johnson with a season-high 20 points, while DeMar DeRozen had 18. For the Spurs, Tim Duncan and Marco Belinelli both scored 12 but struggled with each shot in the loss.
Blazers 109 (35-17) – Rockets 98 (35-16)
After losing last night in humiliating fashion, the Blazers did not want to give up another double-digit lead in the final two minutes. Tonight, they were able to hold on despite a huge scoring night from James Harden. Portland dominated in the 2nd quarter and fought off a strong Houston 3rd to pull away in the 4th and hold off the Rockets’ final run. LaMarcus Aldridge finished with 24 and Damian Lillard added 23 on the day he found out he would be replacing Blake Griffin in the All-Star game this weekend. The Rockets were led by Harden with 45 points, tying his season high, but were unable to get constructive offense from the rest of the team.
Suns 83 (29-24) – Kings 85 (18-32)
The Kings have struggled under new coach Ty Corbin, and rumors are flying about a possible successor – but tonight, they had the lucky bounce in DeMarcus Cousins’ final shot and got the win over the Suns who are desperately trying to hang on to the 8th playoff place in the West. It took a big 4th quarter for the Suns to be in the game at the end, but their rallying efforts were crushed when Cousins’ shot bounced around the rim multiple times before falling through. Cousins finished with 28 points and 12 rebounds and Ben McLemore added 13. The Suns were led by Isaiah Thomas with 26 points while Goran Dragic added 13.